苹果淫院

96 Global Health NOW: Congo鈥檚 New Mpox Challenge; Tracking Wildlife鈥攁nd SARS鈥怌oV鈥�2; and Wartime Medicine On The Fly May 2, 2024 Electron micrograph of two mature mpox virus particles (pink). NIAID/Flickr CC Congo鈥檚 New Mpox Challenge
Scientists at Congo鈥檚 National Institute of Biomedical Research have discovered a new form of mpox that is more easily transmitted among people, .

• Genetic mutations in the virus were discovered in hospital patients in the eastern Congo region of Kamituga between October and January.

New challenge: The new form of the virus causes milder lesions typically located on the genitals, making mpox more difficult to diagnose, per the institute鈥檚 lead researcher Placide Mbala-Kingebeni. Previously, lesions were mostly on the chest, hands, and feet.

The Quote: 鈥淭his suggests the virus is adapting to spread efficiently in humans and could cause some pretty consequential outbreaks,鈥� said Emory University's Boghuma Titanji.

Outbreak status: Congo is fighting its biggest mpox outbreak with 4,500+ suspected cases and almost 300 deaths so far this year鈥攏umbers ~3X higher than in the same period last year.

Global take: Mpox transmission persists at low levels globally, with the largest number of cases occurring in Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Western Pacific, and the Southeast Asia regions, .

• In March, 22 countries reported a total of 466 new lab-confirmed mpox cases and three deaths.

Related: 

DRC is seeing its worst mpox outbreak 鈥� but has no vaccines or treatments yet. Why? 鈥�

Machine learning in epidemiology: Neural networks forecasting of monkeypox cases 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine scientists have discovered that the drug varespladib prevents tissue damage caused by African spitting cobra venom鈥攔esponsible for high rates of disability and amputation across Africa; the treatment has cleared human clinical trials and could soon be available for patients.
 
An 鈥渙utbreak鈥� of opioid overdoses in Austin, Texas, Monday has been linked to eight deaths and over 50 emergency calls earlier this week; paramedics distributed over 267 Narcan doses, while police investigating the drugs鈥� source said they have detained two 鈥減ersons of interest.鈥�  
 
The U.S. maternal mortality rate has improved significantly since a pandemic spike in 2021; a that 817 women died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2022, compared to 1,205 in 2021.
 
LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. continue to report high rates of mental health challenges, bullying, discrimination, and increased suicide risk, that also found a link between lower suicide rates and supportive environments and safe spaces. Avian Flu News
Tracking bird flu virus changes in cows is stymied by missing data, scientists say 鈥�

FDA finds no live H5N1 avian flu virus in sour cream or cottage cheese, will assess raw milk 鈥�

CDC and USDA answer questions about the bird flu outbreak in Texas, other states 鈥�

This Texas veterinarian helped crack the mystery of bird flu in cows 鈥� THE QUOTE COVID-19 Tracking Wildlife鈥攁nd SARS鈥怌oV鈥�2
As COVID-19 surveillance programs go dormant in U.S. health systems, one group of American scientists is embarking on a quest to track the virus in the wild. 

The goal: Understand how SARS鈥怌oV鈥�2 is spreading in North American wildlife鈥攅specially in deer鈥攁nd how it might be evolving in animal hosts.

• SARS鈥怌oV鈥�2 is known to have spilled over into since the start of the pandemic. 

• In the U.S., a 2021 study showed 36% of 360 white-tailed deer shot in a culling program in Ohio were infected with SARS鈥怌oV鈥�2. 

All hands on deck: To provide enough test samples, wildlife management officials, hunters, a pest control company, and animal rehabs have all agreed to collect samples and swabs from mammals ranging from mice to moose. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CONFLICT: SUDAN Wartime Medicine On The Fly
After civil war broke out in Sudan last year, many of the country鈥檚 doctors scrambled to treat gunshot wounds and infections, as patients filled hospital wards. 

In an effort to keep up with war-related injuries, hundreds of Sudanese health workers with little formal training in trauma care have been learning wartime medicine鈥攕kills like improvised IV drips, treating gunshot wounds, identifying shock and PTSD鈥攙ia the Telegram app on smart phones.

• They are using an international platform called , which connects them with medical experts worldwide, who deliver training sessions and provide real-time medical advice.

For example: In one case, a doctor consulted the Telegram group to ask for advice about what to do when the hospital ran out of PPE while treating gunshot patients. The group advised using trash bags instead for makeshift infection control.

QUICK HITS Colombia鈥檚 Way煤u people live on land rich in resources. So why are their children dying of hunger? 鈥�

Arizona鈥檚 Democrats get enough votes to repeal 19th century abortion ban 鈥�

Elimination of human African trypanosomiasis: The long last mile 鈥�

UnitedHealth CEO's testimony on cyberattack leaves Congress wanting 鈥�

Identifying risks of human flea infestations in plague-endemic areas of Madagascar 鈥�

Does the American Diabetes Association work for patients or companies? A lawsuit dared to ask 鈥�

India widens spices probe amid contamination concerns 鈥�

Power outages linked to heat and storms are rising, and low-income communities are most at risk, as a new NYC study shows 鈥�

Mary Shelley's Lessons for a Plague-Ridden World 鈥� Issue No. 2529
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

96 Global Health NOW: Getting Kenyan Cult Leaders to Embrace Medicine; Dangerous SUVs; and Police Sedative Use Eliud Wekesa has said he鈥檚 Jesus and that his followers should trust prayer not meds. May 1, 2024 Eliud Wekesa speaks to visitors outside his home and church compound in Tongaren, Kenya, on February 29. Dominic Kirui Getting Kenyan Cult Leaders to Embrace Modern Medicine
LUKHOKHWE, Kenya 鈥� Eliud Wekesa鈥攚ho claims to be Jesus鈥攈as been accused of feeding his hundreds of followers a flawed gospel, telling them only prayers can heal.
 
Wekesa is just one of many religious and cult leaders鈥攏ot only in Kenya but across the region鈥攂lamed for undermining health efforts and urging their followers to shun modern medicine. Their influence is one reason that many easily treatable health problems persist in Kenya and other parts of the world.
 
Signs of change: Health officials in Kenya (with police backing, at times) are working to dispel these messages.

• Health officials are involving religious leaders in government health strategies, accompanied by training on the truth about medicine鈥檚 importance to human health. 

• After being arrested several times for discouraging his followers from seeking medical care and preventing their children from going to school, Wekesa has taken steps to publicly model acceptance of medical care. In 2021, he participated in a mass drug administration campaign to tackle two of Kenya鈥檚 most prevalent neglected tropical diseases: bilharzia and intestinal parasitic worms.  

Ed. Note: Dominic Kirui is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya, who writes on gender, climate change, water, and other topics. This article is part of Global Health NOW鈥檚, made possible through the generous support of loyal GHN readers.
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Breast cancer screenings are now being advised for women age 40 and up, after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered its age from 50; however, cancer advocacy groups say the agency should go further by advising annual exams.

Efforts to infect people with 鈥渁ncestral鈥� SARS-CoV-2 for a challenge trial in the U.K. were unsuccessful due to participants鈥� immunity, ; the outcome raises 鈥渜uestions about the usefulness鈥� of such challenge trials for testing COVID-19 vaccines and drugs.
 
Snakebites are most prevalent among young men working in agricultural or livestock settings,  that looked at bite cases reported in Paraguay from 2015鈥�2021.

Anger has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease by limiting blood vessels鈥� ability to dilate, . Avian Flu News USDA to test ground beef for traces of H5N1 avian flu virus as more poultry outbreaks reported 鈥�

UK ramps up response to H5N1 outbreak in US cattle 鈥� but refuses to test British cows 鈥�

Spikes of flu virus in wastewater raise questions about spread of bird flu 鈥�

America鈥檚 Infectious-Disease Barometer Is Off 鈥� POLICING Sedative Use in Police Encounters Has Resulted in Avoidable Deaths
More than 1,000 people died after being subdued with force by police between 2012 and 2021. 

• At least 94 of them were injected with a sedative in the process, . 

Why? Supporters of sedatives鈥� use say they are used to calm people so they can be safely transported for treatment, but medical experts see 鈥渁 pattern of misuse of sedation during law enforcement encounters and a disproportionate impact on Black people.鈥�

Dangers: The sedatives often impact breathing and heart rate鈥攁nd their effects can be exacerbated by physical restraint or substances already present in a person鈥檚 system.

Bigger story: The use of sedatives is compounded by numerous big issues: racism, questionable science, biased decision-making, overdosing, and lack of scrutiny of sedatives鈥� use.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TRAFFIC DEATHS A Bulky Problem 
Four of every five new cars sold in the U.S. are SUVs or pickup trucks, but larger vehicles come with a litany of road safety concerns.

• An SUV or pickup truck collision with a smaller car was 28% or 159% more likely to kill the other driver, respectively, . 


• Fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists have reached a 40-year high, with an increased risk for those in a crash with a bigger car. 


• Between 2008 and 2023, the average 鈥渧ehicle footprint鈥� increased 6%. 

Playing favorites: U.S. policymakers are partly to blame. Less strict federal policies, such as a more lenient fuel economy standard for pickups and SUVs (and higher profit margins) have encouraged automakers to make bigger cars. 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Florida's 6-week abortion ban is now in effect, curbing access across the South 鈥�

British Columbia's drug decriminalization experiment is being rolled back after backlash 鈥�

Malaria Carrying Mosquitoes Return to Italy's Coast 鈥�

Fields of filth: factory farms committing thousands of environmental breaches 鈥�

EPA bans consumer use of a toxic chemical widely used as a paint stripper but known to cause cancer 鈥�

After private equity firms gobbled up wheelchair makers, users pay the price in long repair times 鈥�

WHO Africa Advances African Science by Promoting Peer-Reviewed Research 鈥�

Johns Hopkins breeds millions of mosquitoes 鈥� to stop them from killing you 鈥� Issue No. 2528
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased obesity in school-aged children in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) office for the region said in a new report issued on Wednesday, sounding the alarm for action. 

96 Global Health NOW: Measles鈥� Growing Global Threat; Adding an Antibody to the Malaria Arsenal; and Seeking Peace for 'Comfort Women' Rise in measles cases is another legacy of COVID-19 disruptions. April 30, 2024 A young boy recovering from measles gets his arm measured at a clinic on November 29, 2023, in Rotriak, South Sudan. Luke Dray/Getty Measles鈥� Growing Global Threat  
Global reported measles cases leapt to 320,000 last year, up from 170,000 in 2022, .
 
Accelerating pace: Nearly 100,000 cases have been reported already this year, .
 
Worse still: Those numbers are just reported cases鈥攖he true number is much higher, with +9 million estimated in 2022.
 
Why the surge? It鈥檚 another legacy of COVID-19 disruptions, according to Hanna Nohynek, of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, .

• ~61 million doses were missed or delayed in 2021, NPR reports.

• Catch-up vaccinations aren鈥檛 reaching children who missed measles and other jabs.

Location: Major outbreaks are occurring in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, said Patrick O'Connor, the WHO鈥檚 medical officer for measles and rubella.

• Five sub-Saharan African countries have first-dose vaccination coverage that鈥檚 under 50%.

New Hope: A measles vaccine patch was found to be safe and effective in a recent trial involving 200 toddlers and babies, .

• The patch provoked an immune response that equaled the shot鈥檚.

• Plus: Doctors, nurses, and a cold chain aren鈥檛 required by the patch, and minimal training is needed in how to apply it.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The Chinese scientist who first published the sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus staged a sit-in protest after being locked out of his lab this weekend; Zhang Yongzhen has been demoted and suffered other career setbacks since publishing the sequence in January 2020.

Cats died soon after consuming unpasteurized milk and colostrum from cows infected with the H5N1 avian flu virus,; the finding adds to concerns about the virus鈥檚 ability to spread among mammals.

Phones are ringing 鈥渙ff the hook鈥� at Florida abortion clinics before a 6-week abortion ban takes effect tomorrow, barring the procedure before most women know they are pregnant; prior to the ban, the state had been a refuge for out-of-state abortion seekers from places like Georgia and Alabama.
 
Hajj pilgrims will be offered the polio vaccine as they undertake the Muslim rite of passage next month, as part of a broader eradication effort from Saudi Arabia and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; prior pilgrimages have been linked to outbreaks of the disease. HUMAN RIGHTS Seeking Peace for 鈥楥omfort Women鈥�
Activists are pushing for reparations and recognition of the sexual enslavement endured by 1,000 Filipino women during Japan鈥檚 occupation in WWII.
 
Since 1997, a survivors鈥� group called Malaya Lolas has repeatedly called on the Filipino government to press their case for compensation with Japan, to no avail.
 
In March 2023, the women took their fight to the UN, where  suggested the creation of a state-sanctioned fund to compensate women who are victims of war crimes.
 
Yet there have been no signs from the government about creating such a fund. The state is reluctant to upset Japan鈥攖he largest lender of foreign aid in the Philippines鈥攁s it seeks to build military ties.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA Adding an Antibody to the Malaria Arsenal 
A single dose of a new injectable monoclonal antibody offers children 77% protection from malaria for up to 6 months鈥攎eaning it could be a key 鈥渁ddition to the arsenal鈥� of tools to fight the disease, . 

The specifics: The NIH-developed therapy, called L9LS, reduced infections and clinical disease in 6- to 10-year-olds in Mali, per a published in The New England Journal of Medicine. 

• The therapy has already shown 80% protection in adults, .

The implications: While the therapy isn鈥檛 a 鈥渟ilver bullet鈥� for preventing malaria, it could be a critical tool along with antimalarials, insecticide-treated bed nets, and childhood vaccination, published in NEJM.

• 鈥淓ven if the monoclonals do not provide full protection, they are very likely to reduce childhood mortality against malaria,鈥� said malaria researcher Elizabeth Winzeler. 

QUICK HITS The WHO overturned dogma on how airborne diseases spread. Will the CDC act on it? 鈥�

FDA brings lab tests under federal oversight in bid to improve accuracy and safety 鈥�

Age and sex impact antimicrobial resistance levels, research shows 鈥�

Talks on global pandemic agreement are in race against time 鈥�

Quiz: Can you pass our 9 question test on the latest theories of COVID-19 transmission 鈥� Issue No. 2527
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

96 Global Health NOW: Sounding Alarm in Sudan; Young Europeans鈥� Rising Colorectal Cancers; and U.S. Hepatitis-C Failure ~800,000 people are trapped between opposing forces in Darfur鈥檚 El Fasher. April 29, 2024 A newly arrived refugee from Darfur, in Sudan, sits on a donkey as her group heads to a shelter in Adre, Chad, on April 24. Dan Kitwood/Getty Sounding Alarm in Sudan
Escalating tensions in Sudan鈥檚 North Darfur have led UN officials to warn of 鈥渄evastating consequences for civilians鈥濃�攊ncluding ethnically motivated killings and the collapse of aid in a region already on the brink of famine. 

View from the ground: Rapid Support Forces have surrounded El Fasher, home to ~800,000 people and the last major city in the Darfur region under Sudanese Armed Forces鈥� control.

• This means 鈥渃ivilians are trapped鈥� and essential supplies have been cut off, .


• Displaced people there already face 鈥渃ritical鈥� water, food, sanitation, and health care shortages, a local official . 

Reports of sexual violence have been recorded nationwide, and 鈥渞eveal the war's disproportionate impact on women and girls,鈥� .

Crisis on crisis: Amidst this, Sudan has reported its first case of mpox, .

Global neglect: ~25 million people鈥攈alf Sudan鈥檚 population鈥攔equire humanitarian aid. But reports of mass atrocities have been met with 鈥渁 deafening silence,鈥� write Don Cheadle and John Prendergast in a :

• 鈥淭he only living creatures that are thriving in this environment are the vultures, feeding on corpses left in the streets to rot,鈥� the authors write.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Attacks on Ukraine so far this year have killed 25 children鈥�40% more children compared to 2023鈥攁nd damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, 36 health facilities, and 140 educational facilities, .  

TB has increased in the U.S. every year since 2020, after 27 years of steady declines; show 9,615 cases were recorded last year.

Insulin shortages in the U.K. are causing significant 鈥渟tress and anxiety鈥� for the ~400,000 people in the country with type 1 diabetes鈥攁s the nation copes with ongoing medication shortages.

A U.S. ban on menthol cigarettes has been indefinitely postponed by the Biden administration, after backlash from civil rights groups, small business owners, and law enforcement groups. Avian Flu News Bird flu: US tests show pasteurized milk is safe 鈥�

Cattle testing for H5N1 bird flu will be more limited than USDA initially announced 鈥�

As bird flu spreads in cows, here are 4 big questions scientists are trying to answer 鈥�

There鈥檚 never a good time to drink raw milk. But now鈥檚 a really bad time as bird flu infects cows 鈥嬧�嬧�� CANCER In Europe, More Colorectal Tumors at Younger Ages
Researchers are racing to understand the troubling trend of rising colorectal cancer cases among young people in Spain and other European countries.

• The rate of colorectal cancer deaths in young people in Europe and in the U.K. could rise by up to 40% this year compared to the 2014-2019 period.

• And 25% of cancerous colorectal tumors are now found in people under 50.

Researchers are analyzing a range of potential factors鈥攊ncluding rising obesity rates, diets with more processed foods, antibiotic abuse, and high alcohol consumption.

• In particular, Spain鈥檚 pivot away from the Mediterranean diet towards one of more processed foods has driven concern among researchers at the Vall d鈥橦ebron Institute of Oncology in Barcelona. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES INFECTIOUS DISEASES U.S. Struggles Against Hepatitis-C
15 countries鈥攊ncluding Egypt, Canada and Australia鈥攁re on track to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, thanks to national screening and treatment campaigns.
 
Not on the list: The U.S. 

• Just 34% of Americans diagnosed since 2013 have been cured. 

Behind the lag: Many Americans don鈥檛 know they are infected and need treatment鈥攚hich is often out-of-reach for at-risk people, including the uninsured, incarcerated, or unhoused.
 
The policy part: A Biden administration initiative to provide drugs, raise awareness, and train clinicians could prevent 24,000 deaths in the next decade, but it鈥檚 stuck in Congressional limbo.
 
Standout state: New Mexico has provided hepatitis C treatment for 10,000+ patients鈥攂y connecting rural primary care doctors with specialist training, funding prisoner treatment, and supporting harm reduction approaches like needle exchange programs.
 
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Hajj pilgrims to get polio vaccine under Bill & Melina Gates Foundation health drive 鈥�

The 鈥榤an who repairs women鈥� on rape as a weapon and how the world forgot the DRC 鈥�

Malaria on the rise in Madagascar as climate change leaves healthcare out of reach 鈥�

Doctors seeing more syphilis patients with unusual and severe symptoms, study shows 鈥�

The Public Good on the Docket 鈥� The Supreme Court鈥檚 Evolving Approach to Public Health 鈥�

Respiratory syncytial virus seasonality, transmission zones, and implications for seasonal prevention strategy in China: a systematic analysis 鈥�

鈥楶eople are going to die this summer鈥�: Advocacy groups join Texas lawsuit over excessive heat in prisons 鈥�

Medical students lose in the research arms race for residency slots 鈥�

Elevator or stairs? Your choice could boost longevity, study finds 鈥嬧�嬧�� Issue No. 2526
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

Le syst猫me de sant茅 palestinien doit 锚tre un lieu pour maintenir en vie et en sant茅 le 芦corps social禄.

96 Global Health NOW: H5N1 Outbreak Likely 鈥楳uch Bigger鈥� Than Official Counts; The Aftermath in Flint, Michigan; and 鈥楳ake Seagulls Sexy Again鈥� April 26, 2024 Holstein cows walk back to the barn after milking at Sheepscot Valley Farm. Whitefield, Maine, March 30. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty H5N1 Outbreak Likely 鈥楳uch Bigger鈥� Than Official Counts
As U.S. government officials gradually release more data about H5N1 being detected in the commercial milk supply, scientists say there are signs that the outbreak is 鈥渇ar more widespread鈥� than the official count of 33 herds in eight states, . 

Yesterday, the FDA revealed that it had detected milk positive for traces of avian flu in 20% of samples.

• Such traces are genetic remnants: So far, live virus has not been detected in pasteurized milk鈥攎aking it safe to drink, officials say. 


• But that prevalence鈥攑lus genetic data that show the virus has been circulating since December鈥斺�渟uggests that the outbreak is probably much bigger than we know,鈥� said virologist Angie Rasmussen.

The bigger worry: The more widely H5N1 spreads in cows, the more opportunities it has to adapt鈥攁nd become 鈥渁 pathogen of pandemic potential,鈥� said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. 

Reminders of early COVID: Researchers worry the U.S. government鈥檚 early response is too fractured, slow, and obtuse鈥攔eminiscent of missteps in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, . 

Meanwhile: Colombia has become the first country to limit the import of U.S. beef products, 鈥攁 sign of avian flu鈥檚 鈥渂roadening economic impact.鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Thanks for the tip, Joanna Schofield! The Latest One-Liners   A heatwave in Gaza has made the tents where ~1.2 million are living in Rafah feel 鈥渓ike living in a greenhouse鈥濃�攁nd conditions are set to worsen once summer comes with even higher temperatures.

The first known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injection were , after three women were likely infected while receiving so-called vampire facials鈥攁 process involving microneedling鈥攁t a New Mexico spa.

A phase 3 trial of the world鈥檚 first personalized mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma is underway in London after a phase 2 trial showed the vaccines dramatically reduced the risk of the cancer returning. Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

COVID-19 may have eroded doctors鈥� belief that they are obligated to treat infectious patients, who compared trends during various pandemics; COVID-19-related characteristics including vaccine refusal, PPE shortages, and abuse of staff by patients and their families may have contributed to the shift. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH The Aftermath in Flint, Michigan 
A decade after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan鈥攊n which more than 100,000 people were exposed to lead from aging pipes鈥攔esidents continue battling the consequences.

This must-read feature focuses on the physical, mental, and emotional challenges caused by lead exposure and the delayed response to the crisis.

• 50% of children struggle with behavioral problems. 


• 15% of kids have been diagnosed with anxiety and 10% with depression.


• The number of K-12 students with special needs has increased by 8%.


• 70% of Flint kids grow up in poverty.

Beacons of hope: Community members, pastors, and doctors have advocated for those affected, and 95% of the work on replacing the pipes has been completed. 



Related: 10 years after Flint, the fight to replace lead pipes across U.S. continues 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD RIGHTS Riding Toward Danger 
Advocacy groups are calling for tighter regulations surrounding child jockeys in Mongolia.

Horse racing is a large part of Mongolia鈥檚 cultural heritage, but over the past two decades, at least 30 children have been killed. 

Weighing in: Riders are required to weigh no more than 35 kg (77 lbs), meaning competitors are young children.

• There were 13,519 child jockeys in 2023, per official figures, though experts say the true number is much higher.


• There have been nine deaths and 466 injuries since 2021. 

Human rights groups have criticized the dangerous conditions, lack of quality safety gear, and exploitation of children.

• While some improvements have been made, UNICEF is calling for tighter restrictions. 

FRIDAY DIVERSION 鈥楳ake Seagulls Sexy Again鈥�
When Cooper Wallace first started honing his seagull impression, his family thought it was just 鈥渁nother annoying sound鈥� from the 9-year-old. When the opportunity arose for gull glory, they soon changed their tune. 

The boy is now a 鈥渟easide sensation鈥� after his nuanced squawk won him the top youth prize at the European Seagull Screeching Competition in Belgium, . 

The contest is designed to highlight the plight of these so-called 鈥渞ats of the sea,鈥� who face off against bird flu and probably only steal your sandwiches because they can鈥檛 find enough wild food, . 

Thus, Joke De Keyrel, who won bronze in the adult category, arrived determined to 鈥渕ake seagulls sexy again.鈥� She leapt to the misunderstood species鈥� defense: "Stop calling them the rats of the coast or the sky. Every time I get to the sea, I associate their cries with happiness, tranquility, peace, in short, a blissful feeling." QUICK HITS 鈥楪uantanamo on an epic scale鈥�: Life inside ISIS detention camps in Syria 鈥�

Why the fight against malaria is having a 鈥楻ed Queen鈥� moment 鈥�

The Lasting Impact of Exposure to Gun Violence 鈥�

WHO reports widespread overuse of antibiotics in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 鈥�

Safe sex negotiation and HIV risk reduction among women 鈥�

Coke, Pepsi, or organic blueberry? Eye-catching "better-for-you" sodas reignite the cola wars 鈥� Issue No. 2525
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

Antibiotics saw 鈥渆xtensive overuse鈥� globally among hospitalised COVID-19 patients during the pandemic without improving clinical outcomes, while also potentially increasing the already serious and growing threat of antimicrobial resistance from "superbugs", the UN World Health Organization (WHO)聽said on Friday.

96 Global Health NOW: Worrying Trends in Adolescent Substance Use; Docs to Women: Pain No Longer a Four-Letter Word; and Unlikely Bike Lane Paves the Way April 25, 2024 Two girls have their photograph taken while drinking outside in Manchester, England, on April 16, 2021. Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Worrying Trends in Adolescent Substance Use  
57% of 15-year-olds across Europe, Central Asia, and Canada have tried alcohol at least once by age 15, .
 
Takeaways:

• 20% of 15-year-olds surveyed said they had been drunk at least twice in their lives.


• 20% of 15-year-olds said they had used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days.


• Cannabis use trended slightly downward: 12% of 15-year-olds reported in 2022 having used the substance, falling from 14% in 2018.

The highest rate of child alcohol abuse worldwide? That would be in Great Britain, where more than half of children under 13 have drunk alcohol,.

• Roughly a third of boys and girls there had tried alcohol by age 11.

Risk to young brains: 鈥淐onsidering that the brain continues to develop well into a person鈥檚 mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products,鈥� said Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe. 鈥淯nfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products, while popular culture, like video games, normalises them.鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five areas, including the capital Brazzaville, per a health ministry statement Tuesday; no deaths have yet been recorded.
 
Advocacy groups filed a petition with the UN human rights committee this month over Honduras鈥檚 total abortion ban, on behalf of a Honduran woman who underwent a forced pregnancy after being raped and denied an abortion.
 
M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res shared the cost of its landmark clinical trial for a four-drug combo treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis鈥斺偓34 million鈥攃hallenging the prevailing Big Pharma narrative that high prices are needed to recover high research and development costs.
 
The heart failure mortality rate for people under 45 spiked 906% between 1999 and 2021, much more than for older people, according to a new 鈥攔eversing a decline in deaths that means more Americans are dying of the condition today than 25 years ago. Avian Flu News Dairy cattle must be tested for bird flu before moving between states, agriculture officials say 鈥�

Can we make enough H5N1 bird flu vaccine if there's a pandemic? 鈥�

How Bird Flu Is Shaping People鈥檚 Lives 鈥�

This May Be Our Last Chance to Halt Bird Flu in Humans and We Are Blowing It 鈥�

The dairy industry really, really doesn鈥檛 want you to say 鈥渂ird flu in cows鈥� 鈥� PAIN Docs to Women: Pain No Longer a Four-Letter Word
Women describing their pain to a health care provider , called 鈥渄ramatic,鈥� or flat out ignored. It鈥檚 worse for
 
But efforts to correct this major blind spot are mounting:

• Earlier this month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists offered new guidance on C-section pain management; a recent study found 15% during the procedure.


• A move away from the 10-point pain measurement scale鈥攚hich doesn't capture the complexity of pain鈥攖o involving patients more in decision making.


• Adopting more concise vocabulary when addressing symptoms; abandoning vague terms like 鈥減ressure.鈥� 

The shift is fueled in part by the testimonies of women themselves, like the women in a study featured in who shared videos of their excruciatingly painful IUD insertions on TikTok.
 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ROAD SAFETY Unlikely Bike Lane Paves the Way
A decade-in-the-making, two-mile cycling lane has opened in Edinburgh, Scotland鈥攄espite geographical and logistical challenges. 

It鈥檚 a small but symbolic step toward the city鈥檚 2030 deadline for net-zero emissions.

The wheels are turning: Edinburgh recently launched its transit plan to improve air quality, street safety, and residents鈥� well-being.

• Overall, : 22% cycle at least once a week; 66% walk as often. Nearly half of residents want to do so more often.

The takeaway: If Edinburgh can install bike lanes on hilly and narrow historic streets, other cities can do it too.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable Climate change is bringing malaria to new areas. In Africa, it never left 鈥�

France warns of surge in imported dengue cases ahead of Olympics 鈥�

Teen vaccination cut COVID-19 cases by 37% in California, new data show 鈥�

Fauci agrees to testify in Congress on covid origins, pandemic policies 鈥�

Can AI make Northeast Ohio schools safer from gun violence? 鈥�

Relationship skills can reduce the risk of HIV in young male couples 鈥�

Decolonising global health research: Shifting power for transformative change 鈥�

NIH boosts pay for postdocs and graduate students 鈥�

How do you get siblings to be nice to each other? Latino families have an answer  鈥� Issue No. 2524
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

A top Human Rights Council-appointed expert has welcomed the decision by all health authorities in the United Kingdom to halt the routine use of puberty-blockers offered to children as part of gender transition services, amid a sharp increase more widely in the number of teenage girls seeking such treatment and concerns that it might disrupt brain development.

Smoking and drinking is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, and聽girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to substance use, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.

96 Global Health NOW: Bird Flu: Assessing Milk Safety; The Pandemic Trail 鈥楪one Cold鈥�; and Criminalizing Camping? H5N1 virus particles have been detected in the pasteurized U.S. commercial milk supply. April 24, 2024 A customer reaches for a gallon of milk at a Stewart's Shops on January 2, 2015, in Latham, NY. Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Assessing Milk Safety 
Particles of H5N1 virus have been detected in the pasteurized U.S. commercial milk supply amid the nation鈥檚 ongoing outbreak, new testing shows鈥攂ut FDA officials say the milk is still safe, . 

What testing does鈥攁nd doesn鈥檛鈥攕how: The PCR testing cannot distinguish between fragments of live virus and virus killed by pasteurization.

• The FDA said it is testing milk from infected animals, milk being processed, and milk from store shelves. 

• But the agency did not specify how many samples were taken or what percentage tested positive for the virus. 

Research gaps: There have been no published studies about the effectiveness of pasteurization on H5N1 in milk, though scientists believe the process is effective based on research of similar viruses.

Of greater concern: Test results indicate the outbreak is 鈥渕ore widespread in dairy herds than we thought,鈥� a health official told . 

Zoom out: As of Monday, 33 H5N1 outbreaks in herds have been confirmed. While this strain of avian flu has circulated for 20+ years, its leap into cows is of 鈥渟ubstantial concern.鈥� 

Related: Scientists find clues in early analysis of newly shared US H5N1 avian flu sequences 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The EU is investigating China's medical device market in an effort to determine whether European suppliers of such devices have been denied fair access in China.

New antibiotics are underprescribed, with U.S. clinicians opting instead for older, less effective generic antibiotics, per a new published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Chimps are resorting to eating bat guano amid deforestation in Uganda, leading scientists to fear that chimps could be infected with deadly viruses鈥攁nd transmit them to humans.

The U.K.鈥檚 proposed asylum law that seeks to deport migrants to Rwanda could have 鈥渉armful impacts鈥� on asylum seekers and on refugee protection worldwide, UN human rights leaders have warned. COVID-19: ORIGINS The Pandemic Trail 鈥楪one Cold鈥�
Answers about COVID-19鈥檚 origins remain elusive鈥攂ut new questions continue to surface. 

In a detailed investigation, the AP revisits the earliest days of COVID-19鈥檚 emergence in Wuhan and explores ways the Chinese government clamped down or redirected global inquiry much earlier than previously known鈥攚ith some market inspections conducted as early as December 25, 2019. 

In short: 鈥淐rucial initial efforts鈥� to trace the outbreak鈥檚 source were thwarted by 鈥渢oxic鈥� political infighting between Wuhan officials, central Chinese officials, Chinese scientists, and the WHO, newly reviewed emails and documents show. 

The Quote: 鈥淚t鈥檚 disturbing how quickly the search for the origins of (COVID-19) escalated into politics. Now this question may never be definitively answered,鈥� said Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HOMELESSNESS Criminalizing Camping?
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in Grants Pass v. Johnson, a case that could have sweeping implications for how U.S. cities handle homelessness, .

Background: In 2013, the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, enacted an ordinance that criminalized camping on public property. 

• In 2018, a group of homeless individuals sued, arguing that because the city had inadequate shelters, the ordinance violated the Eighth Amendment鈥檚 prohibition on 鈥渃ruel and unusual punishment.鈥�

• A federal court agreed, meaning that while U.S. cities can regulate camping in public spaces, they can鈥檛 criminalize it.

That means: Officials from cities across the U.S. say the ruling has made addressing homelessness and public safety increasingly difficult. 

What鈥檚 at stake: The case could be 鈥渢he most consequential case in decades鈥� concerning homelessness and whether sleeping on public property can be penalized, . 

What鈥檚 next: A majority of justices appeared sympathetic to city officials, . A decision is expected by the end of June. 

Related: The Supreme Court doesn鈥檛 seem eager to get involved with homelessness policy 鈥� QUICK HITS UN expert warns of mental health risks for Gaza citizens from war 鈥�

Survey: Already-isolated older adults fared better than socially connected peers early in COVID pandemic 鈥�

Survey unveils India's rising tide of metabolic diseases 鈥�

U.K. visa changes imperil recruitment of scientific talent, policy experts warn 鈥�

Study sheds new light on cross-species virus spillovers that can cause pandemics 鈥�

3.6 million Medicare enrollees may now be eligible for Wegovy coverage 鈥�

Joel Breman, Who Helped Stop an Ebola Outbreak in Africa, Dies at 87 鈥�

Garden gnomes and porch swings: Lively front yards linked to more connected residents 鈥� Issue No. 2523
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

Two UN agencies alongside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the global vaccine alliance Gavi launched on Wednesday a campaign to scale up programmes to save lives, marking the start of World Immunisation Week, celebrated annually during the last week of April.

Dangerous levels of acute hunger affected a staggering 281.6 million people last year 鈥� the fifth year in a row that food insecurity has worsened 鈥� heightening growing fears of famine and 鈥渨idespread death鈥� from Gaza to Sudan and beyond, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.

96 Global Health NOW: New Rule Strengthens U.S. Abortion Privacy Protections; Inside a South African Soup Kitchen; & #1 in Pandemic Potential: Influenza April 23, 2024 Demonstrators protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court, on March 26. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty New Rule Strengthens U.S. Abortion Privacy Protections
The Biden administration rolled out banning the release of reproductive health information in an effort to bolster privacy protections for women seeking abortions.
 
Why is this important?

• The administration is seeking to protect women living in states where abortion is illegal who travel to get a legal abortion in another state, .


• ~92,000 women traveled out of state to get an abortion in the first six months of 2023, .


• Alabama, Texas, and other states have criminalized helping or paying for such travel.

Protection: Biden said a person鈥檚 medical records shouldn鈥檛 be 鈥渦sed against them, their doctor, or their loved one just because they sought or received lawful reproductive health care.鈥�
 
Meanwhile at the Supreme Court: The Biden administration will argue tomorrow that it has the right to penalize hospitals that don鈥檛 provide abortions in emergency situations, .

• The administration says a four-decade-old emergency-care law gives it the authority to enforce rights to emergency abortions in states that have banned the procedure after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.


• Opponents argue that the law the administration is relying on doesn鈥檛 mention abortion.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners  
Alcohol deaths in the U.K. increased by 33% to 10,048 in 2022, up from 7,565 in 2019; research shows that people already consuming a lot of alcohol were most likely to have increased their drinking during the pandemic.

A new oral medication to treat visceral leishmaniasis, developed by Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and its partners, has moved into a Phase II clinical trial in Ethiopia; the current treatment includes 17 painful daily shots at a hospital.

Taking race out of a metric that determines placement on the U.S. kidney transplant waitlist has meant that some Black people will get transplants sooner; the previous version of the 鈥渆GFR鈥� calculation included a race-based score that assumed 鈥淏lack patients had differences in kidney function compared with other groups.鈥�

The new HeatRisk warning system developed by the CDC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be used to provide warnings a week in advance of dangerous heat in the U.S.; the National Weather Service will launch the color-coded scale from zero (green) to five (magenta). GHN EXCLUSIVE Children from Alexandra township, South Africa line up to collect their meals from the Foundation for Special Needs Children & Youth Development soup kitchen. Marcia Zali A South African Soup Kitchen Brings Relief to Caregivers
  ALEXANDRA, South Africa鈥擨n a white shipping container that has been converted into a kitchen, Vusi Msomi, a retired nurse, provides meals for children in need.
  Initially, he started a project for children with special needs, but upon realizing that other children from the community would also line up for meals, he expanded鈥攑roviding meals at least 2X a week to children ages 2 and older and bringing relief to struggling parents and caregivers.
 
While this helps, it鈥檚 not enough to address community hunger鈥攚hich worsened after the pandemic started.

• Up to 19% of children in the country went hungry during the pandemic鈥檚 first wave.


• Now, over half of South Africa鈥檚 receive the Child Support Grant (CSG), a government relief program.

The CSG isn鈥檛 enough to lift a family above the food poverty line鈥攔esulting in high rates of child malnutrition and causing caregivers to struggle emotionally as a result.
 
鈥淚 don鈥檛 usually eat supper because I have to save the food for my daughter,鈥� said one mother.
 
What could help: NGOs are calling on the government to increase the CSG, and to introduce a maternity support grant as well.
 

 
Ed. Note: The research for this article was supported by the from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, a project of Columbia University. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES INFECTIOUS DISEASES Number One in Pandemic Potential: Influenza
An influenza virus will cause the next deadly pandemic, if 57% of senior disease experts polled in a soon-to-be-published international survey are right.
 
Why influenza?

• 鈥淐onstantly evolving and mutating鈥� flu viruses are more or less controlled for now, but 鈥渢hat will not necessarily be the case for ever,鈥� says study lead Cologne University鈥檚 Jon Salmanton-Garc铆a.

Other top concerns, rated by the 187 experts:

• 21% of the scientists cited a still-unknown virus dubbed Disease X as the most likely cause of the next pandemic.

• SARS-CoV-2 still tops the list of concerns for 15%.

• Just 1鈥�2% rated Lassa, Nipah, Ebola, and Zika viruses as serious global threats.

Wait for it: Complete survey results will be revealed next weekend at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases congress in Barcelona.    
 
QUICK HITS Dengue surges in war-torn Sudan as healthcare system nears collapse 鈥�

At Spring Meetings, alarm bells sound over global health finance 鈥�

Infected blood scandal: Children were used as 'guinea pigs' in clinical trials 鈥�

鈥榃here can you hide from pollution?鈥�: cancer rises 30% in Beirut as diesel generators poison city 鈥�

Amid Water Crisis, Mexico City鈥檚 Metro System Is Sinking Unevenly 鈥�

Epistemic disobedience鈥揢ndoing coloniality in global health research 鈥�

Rural jails turn to community health workers to help the newly released succeed 鈥�

Why is TB called the 鈥榙isease of paper鈥� in Eastern Cape villages? 鈥�

Children of Flint water crisis make change as young environmental and health activists 鈥� Issue No. 2522
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

96 Global Health NOW: Earth Day Edition: Baking Europe; Arsenic in U.S. Water; and China鈥檚 Sinking Cities Heat-related deaths in Europe have increased about 30% in 20 years. April 22, 2024 A large wildfire at the border of Miren, Slovenia and Rupa, Italy on July 20, 2022. Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Heat-Stressed Europe鈥檚 鈥楴ew Normal鈥�
Record-breaking temperatures led to 鈥渆xtreme heat stress鈥� across Europe last year, the World Meteorological Organization reported today.

• Greenhouse gas emissions fueled heat waves, wildfires, and flooding that countries must accept as 鈥渁 new normal,鈥� . 


• 2023 was confirmed as the warmest or second-warmest year on record for the continent, depending on the dataset. 

What this looked like:

• Land temperatures in Europe were above average for 11 months of 2023.

• The continent endured an 鈥渆xtended summer鈥� from June to September鈥攍eading to wildfires in Greece, floods in Slovenia, and a 10% loss of Alpine glaciers鈥� volume. 

The bigger picture: The findings are significant because Europe is the fastest-warming continent, .

• Heat-related deaths on the continent have gone up ~30% in the past 20 years. 

The Quote: "Some of the events of 2023 took the scientific community by surprise because of their intensity, their speed of onset, extent and duration," said Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU鈥檚 Copernicus climate monitoring service. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The U.S. Department of Agriculture released genetic sequences late last night of the H5N1 bird flu virus behind multiple outbreaks among dairy cows; the agency has been criticized for being slow to release the sequence data.
 
At least 435 attacks by Israeli forces have targeted health care in Gaza in the past six months; the average of 73 attacks per month is the highest in any war-torn country since 2018.

Pepsico, maker of Cheetos and Gatorade, has used suppliers that have sourced palm oil from deforested lands claimed by the Shipibo-Konibo people in eastern Peru; palm oil plantations have spurred deforestation in the Amazon since 2012.
 
Synthetic opioids responsible for dozens of deaths in the U.K. in the last six months are being openly advertised on social media; a Guardian investigation found nearly 3,000 SoundCloud and 700 X posts hawking nitazenes, 鈥渁n illegal group of drugs several times more powerful than heroin.鈥� ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Watered Down Safety
For the last 16 years, drinking water in Sunland Park, New Mexico, has contained levels of arsenic that are up to 5X the legal limit.

• But nothing is being done, leading to growing frustration and fear that the arsenic is contributing to health problems including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. 

Zoom out: 50 years after the Safe Drinking Water Act set legal limits for toxins in drinking water, communities across the U.S. repeatedly exceed those levels.

• 7,400+ public utilities reported a violation every quarter for the last three years, per EPA data. 

Most impacted: Low-income areas and communities of color like Sunland Park, which is 94% Latino.

• Latinos are exposed to arsenic in their drinking water at higher rates than any other racial or ethnic group,  

Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS China鈥檚 Sinking Cities   
Nearly half of China鈥檚 major cities, including Beijing, are sinking鈥攁nd one in 10 residents of some coastal cities could be living below sea level within a century, .
 
Why it鈥檚 happening: Groundwater depletion, the weight of buildings and transport systems, underground mining, and natural factors like the depth of a city鈥檚 bedrock. 

• Meanwhile, climate change fuels sea-level rise.

What can be done: Long-term, sustained control of groundwater extraction, .
 
Success story: Tokyo slowed its sinking from a rapid 240 mm to 10 mm a year between the 1960s and 2000s, thanks to laws limiting groundwater pumping.
 
Other countries facing similar threats include the Netherlands, the U.S., and Indonesia鈥攚hich is replacing Jakarta, the world鈥檚 most rapidly subsiding capital, with a new capital city, Nusantara.

• By 2040, almost one-fifth of the world鈥檚 population is projected to be living on sinking land.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Why Nations Need to Prepare for Climate-Fueled Dengue 鈥�

Humans and elephants are struggling to coexist. Both are dying at alarming rates 鈥�

Hospital emissions reporting proposal is a "game changer" 鈥�

How Western food imports are fuelling obesity in Pacific nations 鈥�

He thinks his wife died in an understaffed hospital. Now he鈥檚 trying to change the industry 鈥�

Scotland pauses prescriptions of puberty blockers for transgender minors 鈥�  

Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky speaks on career and critical juncture in public health 鈥�

Lasers, Inflatable Dancers and the Fight to Fend Off Avian Flu 鈥� Issue No. 2521
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

Climate change shocks caused record levels of disruption and misery for millions in Europe in 2023 with widespread flooding and severe heatwaves 鈥� a new normal which countries must adapt to as a priority, the UN weather agency said on Monday.聽

96 Global Health NOW: Expanding the Meaning of 鈥楢irborne鈥�; No 鈥淲asted鈥� Data; and Real Cicadas of the U.S. WHO and ~500 experts have reached a consensus about what it means for a disease to spread 鈥渢hrough the air.鈥� April 19, 2024 People wearing protective masks and face shields queue to receive a shot of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Santo Tomas on July 27, 2021. Basilio H. Sepe/Universal Images Group via Getty Expanding the Meaning of 鈥楢irborne鈥�
For the first time, the WHO and ~500 experts have reached a consensus about what it means for a disease to spread 鈥渢hrough the air鈥濃�攆ollowing years of bitter disagreements over technical questions and confusing public health conundrums, . 

Up until now, the WHO reserved the term 鈥渁irborne鈥� for select pathogens鈥攍ike those that cause measles and tuberculosis鈥攖hat are capable of floating through the air and infecting people across long distances. 

• Most respiratory pathogens were categorized as spreading via 鈥渄roplet transmission.鈥�  

Consequences: As COVID-19 first emerged in 2020, health agencies were reluctant to use the term 鈥渁irborne鈥� due to its technical definition, .

• That led to confusion about how the virus spread鈥攁nd critical delays in adopting masks and air filtration to prevent transmission. 

Updated terms: In a new , the WHO concludes that the term "through the air" can be used for infectious diseases where the main type of transmission involves "infectious respiratory particles" becoming airborne鈥攔egardless of droplet size or distance traveled, . 

• The umbrella term now applies to COVID鈥攂ut also influenza, MERS-CoV, and SARS.

Implications: The update will likely lead to significant changes around public health messaging鈥攁nd could reset standards for prevention measures at health facilities, including the use of respirators or air filters.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
10 million teenage girls in some of the world鈥檚 poorest countries will miss HPV shots this year, after Merck announced that it cannot deliver millions of expected vaccine doses due to a manufacturing problem.

15 out of every 100 children in the Americas lack full vaccination coverage, as regional health officials say 鈥渕ore must be done鈥� to improve vaccination rates鈥攅specially to protect against highly contagious diseases like measles.  

Free school meals in Ukraine could 鈥渟ignificantly boost鈥� children鈥檚 health and nutrition amid ongoing military conflict, per a new WHO/Europe policy brief.

85 pathogens accounted for 704 million years of life lost from ill health, disability, or early deaths globally in 2019, with TB, malaria, and HIV having the biggest impact, per a new published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.   DISEASE SURVEILLANCE No 鈥淲asted鈥� Data
As the wave of COVID-19 broke over the world in 2020, public health agencies were desperate for new ways to track the fast-moving virus.
 
Cue wastewater testing, which allowed scientists to successfully track SARS-CoV-2 and pinpoint the origin of outbreaks, informing interventions like mask mandates and vaccination efforts.
 
Today, wastewater collection for SARS-CoV-2 testing is in place at 4,600+ sites globally, but researchers see the tool鈥檚 broader potential. Some are now testing wastewater to track a range of diseases and health indicators, like:

• Influenza, rotavirus, norovirus, mpox, measles, cholera, and typhoid.

• Lead levels.

• with a risk of misuse.

• Zoonotic diseases including anthrax, brucellosis, and Rift Valley fever.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Quartz Countertops鈥� Lethal Threat
Quartz countertops are in millions of homes worldwide, but they鈥檝e left many workers in the supply chain with silicosis, an incurable and often deadly lung disease. 

A persistent danger: Silicosis is caused by breathing dust from silica-laden materials like quartz. The body responds by producing mucus, which can eventually clog the lungs, leading to suffocation. 

Case studies:

• In Turkey, mining companies regularly scan workers鈥� lungs and fire them from their jobs before they receive a formal diagnosis.

• In Spain, 300+ people are sick in a mining town of 3,000. 

• In Australia, the engineered stone will be banned entirely on July 1, due to a lack of compliance with safety regulations.

FRIDAY DIVERSION Real Cicadas of the U.S. 
Still suffering from eclipse FOMO? There鈥檚 a much, much rarer event on the horizon that for some reason isn鈥檛 garnering the same fanfare and inflated hotel prices.
 
A trillion cicadas getting it on!
 
The 鈥渞aucous mating ritual鈥� of broods XIII and XIX is a once-in-two-centuries event that maybe you do want to miss, but can鈥檛 if you live in the Midwest or Southeastern U.S, .
 
What to expect: The sound of 鈥�1,000 chainsaws going off and they鈥檙e all being used at the same time,鈥� says cicada enthusiast Jim Louderman. And with a name like that, we trust his judgment.
 
Think of it as a truly epic Tinder matchup. The broods鈥� geo-locations will overlap in a narrow sliver of Illinois, where they鈥檒l have 鈥渁 few chaotic weeks鈥� to meet someone, mate, then die鈥攁nd that鈥檚 if they don鈥檛 catch an STD that turns them into a zombie and makes their privates fall off, .
 
A reality show waiting to happen. QUICK HITS Bird flu jumping to humans is 鈥榚normous concern鈥�, says WHO 鈥�

Bacteria found in mosquito guts could help scientists fight dengue, Zika 鈥�

HIV among refugee youth in Uganda: unmasking the crisis 鈥�

How the US failed people in prisons during Covid: 鈥楻eally important to learn from what happened鈥� 鈥�

Which scientists get mentioned in the news? Mostly ones with Anglo names, says study 鈥� Issue No. 2520
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

96 Global Health NOW: Malaria Win: More Effective Bed Nets; AI鈥檚 Dusty Forecasting; and Bans Target Books About Sexual Violence April 18, 2024 A young boy rolls up a mosquito net covering bedding at a camp for displaced people on November 29, 2023, in Rotriak, South Sudan. Luke Dray/Getty Malaria Win: More Effective Bed Nets  
Two new types of insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets are up to 50% more effective in reducing exposure to mosquitoes in malaria-endemic countries, .

• The new nets reduced the risk of malaria infection by up to 55%.


• They prevented up to 13 million malaria cases, saving nearly 25,000 lives.

Massive trials: 56 million nets were distributed in 17 sub-Saharan countries from 2019 to 2022 in two clinical trials and five pilot studies that are part of the New Nets Project, funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund, .
 
Why is this important news? Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit malaria, have been acquiring resistance to pyrethroid insecticides on traditional bed nets. The new nets seek to solve this problem:

• The Interceptor G2 net from BASF is coated with a new pyrrole insecticide called chlorfenapyr as well as pyrethroid insecticide. It always bested traditional nets.


• The Royal Guard net by Disease Control Technologies uses pyriproxyfen and pyrethroid insecticides. Results for this net weren鈥檛 as definitive.

Malaria rising: Case numbers increased to 249 million in 2022, up from 244 million in 2021, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Italian lawmakers advanced an amendment that, if approved by the Senate as expected, would allow antiabortion activists to enter into family planning clinics that provide abortion services.
 
The WHO prequalified a simplified version of an oral cholera vaccine from South Korean-based EuBiologics that can streamline formulation and manufacturing鈥攑aving the way for the UN and Gavi to buy the Euvichol-S vaccine for countries experiencing outbreaks amid a severe vaccine shortage.

Every U.S. state has significant racial and ethnic-based health inequities as measured by health care systems鈥� performance, ; white and Asian people had the best health outcomes in each state.

Declining confidence in major institutions鈥攁 COVID-19 pandemic legacy鈥攑ushed more people to trust themselves or their friends to assess health information, leaving them more vulnerable to health misinformation. AI Dusty Forecasting  
As annual dust storms roll through East Asia, scientists have started using AI and climate modeling to create more accurate forecasts. 

Dust storms鈥攃aused by strong winds sweeping over dry areas鈥攃an carry dust particles, along with bacteria and toxic metal particles, up to 1,500 meters in the air. 

Dust storm health effects:

• 25% increase in mortality from cardiovascular diseases.


• 18% increase in respiratory problems. 

Model predictions: Atmospheric scientists have developed forecast systems that use AI to break down large amounts of past data.

• One system can predict an incoming dust storm up to 12 hours in advance in 13 countries.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Thanks for the tip, Chiarra Jaffe! INDIGENOUS PEOPLE Saving Lives Through Community Empowerment  
Native Americans have a much lower life expectancy than white Americans鈥攊n part because of their historic . But according to Indigenous health experts, social and economic forces play a key role in many of the common causes of early Native American deaths鈥攆rom chronic diseases and disproportionately high rates of infant and maternal mortality to drug overdoses.
 
One solution: Along with bolstering medical care and fully funding the Indian Health Service, experts recommend greater investment in community-based preventions, like case management, parenting classes, and home visits.
 
Another recommendation: Tribes negotiate contracts to manage their own health care facilities with federal dollars鈥攐pening funding streams unavailable to the IHS.
 

 
Related: 
 
Reclaiming Health in Indigenous Communities 鈥�  CENSORSHIP Bans Target Books About Sexual Violence  
Amy Reed鈥檚 The Nowhere Girls. Toni Morrison鈥檚 The Bluest Eye. Rupi Kaur鈥檚 poetry collections.

School officials across the U.S. are banning these and other books from school libraries, often by labeling them 鈥渙bscene,鈥� 鈥減ornographic,鈥� or 鈥渄isgusting,鈥�.
 
Why that鈥檚 a problem:

• The bans feed the common misconception that these books are about sex鈥攚hen they鈥檙e really about violence.

• Literature that addresses sexual violence can help survivors understand that the abuse they suffered wasn鈥檛 their fault, aiding their recovery.

• ~Half of people who seek help from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network are minors.

The Quote: 鈥淧retending that sexual violence is just an adult topic might make some people feel better, but kids know the truth,鈥� says RAINN鈥檚 Scott Berkowitz.

QUICK HITS Guns are killing more U.S. children. Shooting survivors can face lifelong challenges 鈥�

Women in Menopause Are Getting Short Shrift 鈥�

Plan to control rare Ebola outbreak in Uganda could be blueprint for others 鈥�

USDA scientists weigh avian flu vaccine for cows; virus may be spreading from cattle to poultry 鈥�

Miracle鈥� weight-loss drugs could have reduced health disparities. Instead they got worse 鈥�

She was fired after not endorsing Splenda-filled salads to people with diabetes. Why? 鈥�

Sweltering Lagos Has 25 Million People and Zero Free Public Beaches 鈥�

Deadly diseases and inflatable suits: how I found my niche in virology research 鈥� Issue No. 2519
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



 
  Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .

The ongoing global spread of 鈥渂ird flu鈥� infections to mammals including humans is a significant public health concern, senior UN medics said on Thursday, as they announced new measures to tackle airborne diseases.